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Proto-Sèferi
Proto-Sèferi is the reconstructed ancestor of the Sèferi language, spoken by the Lesù. It was spoken by Kaème hunter-gatherers who first settled Zaseshe. Phonology Romanization is indicated by italics. Consonants Vowels The grave accent over a vowel in Proto-Sèferi indicated that it had been centralized. Phonotactics All syllables were ©V in structure; hiatus occurred frequently. Vowel Mutation There were five varieties of mutation in Proto-Sèferi , each corresponding to one of the five "polar" vowels: i, u, e, ɔ, and ɑ. The mutation was used to form several grammatical constructions, and resulted in several irregular forms from later attempts to disambiguate forms made similar by ablaut. Mutation-inducing forms shall be indicated everywhere with a +''' sign. Grammar Verbal System Triggers There were four trigger types: the '''active trigger, the passive/intransitive trigger, the locative trigger, and the factive/effective trigger. *The passive/intransitive or PI trigger was used for, as its name implies, passive sentences and transitive sentences. Focus is on the patient. *The active or A trigger was used for "standard" transitive sentences. Focus is on the agent. *The locative or L trigger, together with an adpositional, described action taking place relative to a location or object. Focus is on said location. *The factive/effective or FE trigger indicated action that was either on behalf of another object, directed towards another object, or, more rarely caused another object or event. Focus is on the effect or on the recipient. Passive/Intransitive Trigger The PI trigger is sometimes called a "transparent" trigger because its forms do not have any base vowels; rather, it adopts the vowel of the syllable it follows. It is an infixing trigger that is inserted after the first syllable of the verb root. In the (intransitive) example mè'shè'gui seya yelu buco <('PI trigger-7')>burn VFOC-2 sun NFOCa-7+.agent the sun '''shines' the class seven trigger ''-shV-'' takes on the vowel ''è in mègui. The same form and structure, more or less, can be seen in a passive construction: mè'shè'gui ya rùka jingi yelu cò <('PI trigger-7')>burn V-2 hand NFOCa-3+.patient sun agent the hand '''is burnt' by the sun '' The four forms of the PI trigger are: Active Trigger The Active Trigger is sometimes called a "harmonizing" trigger because it induces mutations in every vowel of the root that follows it, bringing every vowel in "harmony" with the trigger vowel. It is a prefixing trigger, used exclusively for active, transitive sentences. An example: da'm'ò'g'''oe' ya rùka nge yelu buco'' ('''A trigger-7+').burn V-2 hand patient sun NFOCa-7+.agent'' the sun '''burns' the hand'' Since the A trigger has the potential to cause so much distortion in the form of a verb, clarification is often needed, in the way of adverbs, to make the meaning clearer: ''ìjomugè damògoe ya rùka nge yelu buco'' ''ADV.heat (A trigger-7+).burn V-2 hand patient sun NFOCa-7+.agent'' the sun burns the hand 'hotly The forms of the A trigger are: Locative Trigger The L Trigger is similar in form to the A Trigger in that it is a harmonizing, prefixing trigger. The locative trigger is used to define action relative to something or someone. Nominal System Fluid Nominal Class "Fluid nominal class", in the context of Proto-Sèferi, refers to a way of marking nouns with the verb and particles to specify the definition; the classes are "fluid" in that they are not intrinsic properties of a root, but are assigned to words to clarify their meanings. The system helps to greatly reduce the number of roots, since the same form, when placed in two different classes, can have two wildly different meanings. The eight classes of Proto-Sèferi were, in essence: Classes were marked on the verbal trigger, as well as in particles modifying the noun. Category:Proto-Languages Category:Lesù